Reminisce of Reality
by kira66
Summary: What happens when someone from the Alpha Quadrant appears on Voyager in the Delta Quadrant? How will Voyager's crew react to the new arrival? And how will the new arrival react to the changes that have been made not only to Voyager but to the crew as well
1. Chapter 1

Jaden weaved his way through Voyagers corridors like a seasoned officer. He even stopped and exchanged pleasantries with some of his older shipmates; they would inquire about his well-being and the well-being of the three year old toddler holding tightly to his right hand. "You're getting too big to be crying for your mommy, all the time, Tommy." He murmured to the boy once they were alone. "Sasha didn't even hit you that stuffed dog but I still had to take you to sickbay, just to be sure." To say that the five year old was ticked off at his young charge would have been an understatement. Since he was focused on the younger boy, he never noticed the white haired man appear in his path until he ran into him. He released Tommy's hand as he fell backward, landing on his bum. "I'm sorry..." He automatically started to apologize for his lack of attention but stopped when he caught sight of who he had run into. "Do I know you?" He asked and tilted his head to the side, trying to place the ancient looking man.

The white haired man looked around, dazed, before shaking his head and gathering his bearings. He took in the sight of the two children in front of him. "I don't believe we've met, my name is Owen, what's yours?" He asked as he reached down a hand to help the oldest of the two boys back onto his feet. Owen took a moment to survey his surroundings. After a second, he was pretty sure that he wasn't aboard the U.S.S. Hawkins anymore. But was also sure that he was onboard another Starship, which one, he didn't know.

Climbing to his feet, without Owen's help, Jaden quickly steered the younger boy behind him. Shielding him from the stranger. For a moment he considered telling the man his name but decided against it. Instead, he tapped his commbadge pinned to his chest. "Jaden to Tuvok."

"_Tuvok here, what can I do for you, Ensign?" _Came the disembodied voice of Voyagers Chief of Security.

Jaden tilted his head to the other side, sizing up stranger. "I've just discovered an intruder on deck five, near sickbay."

The commbadge was silent for a moment. _"Understood. A security team is on their way. Do not do anything until they get there, Ensign."_

"Thank you, Tuvok. Janeway out." Jaden took a step back, making sure that Tommy stayed behind him.

Owen forced his surprise at hearing the name Janeway, away, and studied the boy, more closely. "So you're a Janeway, aye?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could. "I knew a Janeway once, perhaps you've heard of Kathryn? Maybe you know her?" He was more than positive that Phoebe didn't have any children onboard a Starship, and besides that her two boys were twelve.

Jaden blinked. "Of course I know her. She's the Captain of this ship." He didn't elaborate.

"This ship?" Owen pointed towards the deck. At the nod, he breathed a sigh of relief. Now he was getting somewhere. "And what ship would this be?" It felt odd to be having such a serious conversation with such a small boy, an Ensign no less, who looked no older than five or six. A strange sense of dread filled his stomach.

"You're onboard the Federation Starship Voyager." Jaden was beginning to think that this man was crazy. "Where did you think you were?" He asked, curious as to what the older man would say.

Owen felt his breath leave him and he had to lean against a nearby bulkhead. "Voyager?" He managed to whisper. "That's impossible. Voyager was destroyed fifteen, almost sixteen, years ago. There was no survivors."

Jaden's brow furrowed. "Nu uh!" Now he was growing annoyed. "Voyager was brought here by a being known as the Caretaker. Everybody knows that."

"The Caretaker?" Owen had never heard of such a being. "And where, exactly, is here?" He asked.

"Well, we are orbiting Arteria right now." Jaden obviously forced himself not to say _duh! _at the end of his sentence.

Owen frowned, never having heard of a planet called Arteria. "What system are we currently in?" He asked as an edge of panic began to creep into his voice.

Jaden blinked in confusion. "System?" He really didn't know how to answer that since they weren't currently in a system. Arteria was a lone planet at the outer reaches of Alliance territory.

"Yes, system. What star system is...Arteria in?!" Owen forced himself to calm down. Yelling at the boy would get him nowhere.

"We aren't in a star system." Jaden answered. He was beginning to wonder what was taking the security team so long. "There aren't many star systems to speak of in the Delta Quadrant."

Owen felt himself falling and the last thing he remembered was several men, all wearing Starfleet gold, rush towards him.

* * *

"I have ran the scans _twice_, already, Captain." The Doctor huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "And both scans say the same thing." He uncrossed his arms and motioned towards the unconscious man on the biobed. "And according to both of them he _is_ Admiral Owen Paris, age seventy-five."

Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager, moved away from the doctor and stopped beside _Owen's_, if that was indeed who he really was, bed. "How is that possible, Doctor?" She asked, quietly. "Owen Paris should be safely tucked away in the Alpha Quadrant right now, not lying unconscious on a biobed in the Delta Quadrant."

The Doctor took a moment to observe his patient before turning his attention back to the Captain. "I can't tell you that because I have no idea." He picked up his tricorder from a nearby tray and ran it over the man, a third time. "What I can tell you is that he has slightly elevated levels of iron and calcium in his blood, not uncommon for a man his age. And there is signs of a recent heart operation. From what I can tell, he received an artificial heart three or four years ago and the recent operation was routine. Other than that, he is in perfect health." He placed the, closed, tricorder back on the tray and moved away to treat a newly arrived crewman cradling her arm.

"I bet you're going to have _a lot _of questions when you wake up." Kathryn whispered as she drunk in the familiar face of her former mentor and friend. The years had been kind to him, she noted, since he didn't look a day over sixty. With one last look, she turned and headed for the doors. She stopped as they swished open and turned back towards the Doctor. "I want to know the _minute_ he wakes up, Doctor." She informed him then turned, nodded to the security guard stationed at the doors and exited.

* * *

Licking his dry lips, Owen cracked one, blue, eye open. Nothing about his surroundings seemed familiar. "Where...where am I?" He startled when a face appeared very close to his own, blocking his line of sight.

"Well, I'm glad to see that my patient finally decided to join us in the land of the living." The Doctor's very chipper voice told him. He leaned back and tilted his head to the side. "Doctor to Captain Janeway."

"_Janeway here. What can I do for you, Doctor?"_ Came the voice through the sickbay comm-link.

The Doctor smiled down as two curious blue eyes stared at him. "You wished to be informed when my patient had regained consciousness. Well, he's been awake for four point three seconds."

The comm-link was silent for a moment. _"Thank you, Doctor. I'm on my way. Janeway out."_

"How are you feeling, Admiral?" The Doctor asked as he grabbed his tricorder off the tray, again, and scanned the man.

"I...you're an EMH, aren't you?" Owen asked after a moment of silent observation. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was something different about this emergency medical hologram.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow but said nothing to his inquiry. "I can find nothing wrong with you, Admiral. As soon as the Captain clears it, you are free to leave." He closed the tricorder and laid it back on the tray, which he pushed out of the way. He looked towards the sickbay doors as they swished opened to reveal the Captain. "Ah, just on time. I was just telling my patient that as soon as you give the go ahead, he may leave." He said with a genuine smile.

Kathryn smiled in return then moved over to Owen's bedside. "How are you feeling?" She asked, quietly.

Owen blinked and focused on the new arrival. "My God, Katie?" He asked in a voice equal to her own. "Am I dead?"

"I should say not." The Doctor huffed but didn't lose his smile. "You are perfectly alive, I can assure you. You fainted in the corridor not far from here, I had you brought here for observation and a DNA scan." His smile turned apologetic. "We had to make sure you were who you appeared to be. It's not everyday we have..._visitors_. Especially ones from seventy-thousand light-years away."

"Thank you, Doctor." Kathryn smiled. "Could you excuse us? I'm sure Owen has many questions he would like answers to. And I'm sure you'd like to attend George's party?"

The Doctor blinked then his eyes widened. "Why...I completely forgot!" He entered his office quickly then emerged with a brightly wrapped package."What kind of Godfather am I?! Forgetting my own Godsons birthday! I was there, you'd think I'd remember?!" He mumbled as he quickly left sickbay, heading for holodeck two.

"He..." Owen stared at the door where the EMH, or what he had been sure was an EMH, just disappeared out. "He can't leave sickbay!" He finally managed to say.

Kathryn turned back to Owen. "Why can't he? I wouldn't dream of keeping him here while his Godson is celebrating his fourth birthday. He would never forgive me."

Owen laid his head back down. "I'm must admit that I'm confused. If I'm not dead then where am I?"

"As the Doctor just said, you're not dead. Though, you're not that far away from death, I'm afraid." Kathryn's smile turned sad for a moment. "You're on board Voyager currently heading home."

"Home? You mean Earth?" Owen asked, hope filling him. "We're close to Earth?"

Kathryn shook her head and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Home for us is Free Haven. A small, M-class, planet located in the center of the Altrein Alliance."

Owen suddenly felt empty. "Free Haven? But Earth is your home!" He protested. "I don't understand."

"Five years ago we gave up our journey to Earth and settled on Free Haven." Kathryn crossed her arms over her chest. "For the first five years of our journey we thought about nothing else except getting back to the Alpha Quadrant and seeing our families again. Letting them know that we were alive and well. But each year after that it got harder and harder. We lost a lot of good people during our journey. And we came to realize that we weren't the same people that left all those years ago to find and capture a group of Maquis. Relationships were forged, families created. One day we all just decided that enough was enough. We picked an uninhabited planet that could sustain life and started a colony, a thieving one I might add. In the end we just couldn't bring ourselves to continue the endless journey. If we had changed so much over the years then what about our families and friend back in the Alpha Quadrant? Would we really have families to go back to?"

"So you just gave up?" Owen asked in disbelief. "That doesn't sound like you, Katie. It doesn't sound like you at all."

Kathryn frowned. "You have no right to judge us until you've walked a mile in our shoes. If you had been up against what we had been, you would have decided to settle down too. We don't regret our choice, Owen. The day we were brought here, we all knew that it was hopeless. Seventy-five years to get home at top warp, isn't a very positive thing to look forward to."

Owen sighed. "The boy..." He began. "The boy, Jaden, said that Voyager was brought here by something called the Caretaker?" He asked.

"Yes." Kathryn smiled at the mention of her youngest son. She was very proud at how he handled the situation. "When we entered the badlands in search of the Maquis ship, Voyager was scanned by a coherent tetryon beam, and seconds later hit by a massive displacement wave. We later discovered that the Caretaker was responsible for bringing us here. He took us aboard his array and for three days performed tests on us."

"That's some story." Owen's head was reeling. "And this Caretaker, where is he now?"

Kathryn looked away. "Dead." She was silent a moment trying to decide the best way of telling Owen the rest of the story. "He was dying to begin with, that's why he brought us here. He needed another to continue his duties as Caretaker of the Ocampa, a race he owed a great debt to. Let's just say that things went from bad to worse after that. We were attacked by a race called the Kazon, a people very similar to early Klingons. Needless to say, I was forced to destroy the array so that the Kazon couldn't salvage the advanced technology and conquer the Ocampa and who knows how many others."

Owen blinked and blew out a breath. "Next you'll be telling me that you and the Maquis live in perfect harmony." He said in disbelief.

"Walk with me." Kathryn ground out at the mention of the former Maquis. She helped him off the biobed and to his feet then lead him out into the corridor, waving off the security guard in the process. "I'm sure I can handle Owen, Lieutenant Stauder. I bet Trenton wouldn't mind seeing his father, do you?" She smiled at him in subtle dismissal.

"Aye, Captain." Lieutenant Erik Stauder watched the Captain lead the older man out of sickbay and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for him. No one talked badly about the former Maquis and got away with it. That's why he, like so many of his Maquis colleagues, respected the Captain so much. Shaking his head, he left sickbay to return to his quarters and his family within.

"She still looks the same." Owen mumbled as they walked through the corridors. "What's this?" He steered them towards a bulkhead that looked different from the others.

Kathryn left him look. "Just something we picked up along the way." She shrugged and gently moved him away so they could continue their walk.

Owen eyed her for a moment. "Tell me that doesn't look like something straight out of a Borg cube, Katie?"

"Alright, I won't." Kathryn answered then stopped when they came upon a group waiting for the turbolift. "Good evening." She said with a smile.

"Good evening, Captain." Came from Lieutenant Franklin Rothson. "Who's your friend, Kathryn?" Was the greeting from Ensign Gregory Jeffries. "How are you today, Captain?" Lieutenant Thomas Berton asked with a smile. "Jacob enjoyed your lecture last week, Kathryn." Lieutenant Elisabeth Breaksdale said with a small smile."Did we get the supplies we needed, Captain?" Ensign Dion Dreson inquired.

Blinking, Owen looked towards his companion, inquiringly.

Kathryn's smile grew. She nodded towards Franklin in acknowledgment. "This is Owen and he'll be staying with us for awhile." She answered Gregory. "I'm well, thank you for asking Thomas. And I'm glad he enjoyed the lecture Elisabeth, I was afraid I had bored them all into wanting to be freighter engineers instead of Voyager engineers." She laughed along with the Lieutenant. "And yes, we got all the supplies we needed, Dion. I suspect that B'Elanna could use some help in Engineering..." She tailed off knowing how eager the young Ensign was when it came to helping in Engineering. "I'm sure she'd be happy for some help." She finished her greetings just as the turbolift arrived. "You go ahead, we'll wait for the next one." She turned to Owen once they were alone again. "Tell me something, Owen. Did any of them seem...different to you?"

Owen shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows. "Different? I don't think so, why?"

"Can you tell me which of them used to be Maquis?" Kathryn asked, her smile gone.

"Maquis? For the love of...I was joking, Katie!" Owen couldn't believe his ears but considered her question. "The ones who called you Kathryn were Maquis." He answered, sure of himself.

Kathryn turned to face the turbolift doors. "Lieutenant Stauder, Rothson, and Breaksdale used to be Maquis. Lieutenant Bertonand EnsignsDreson and Jeffries are apart of the original Starfleet crew. There is no difference between the former Maquis and the Starfleet crew. We became one crew along time ago and I won't tolerate anybody talking bad about them, are we clear Owen?"

Owen nodded. "I'm sorry, Katie. I should have known you'd be able to do the impossible. How'd you do it? How'd you get the Maquis to join you, willingly?"

"Simple, I made Chakotay, their commander, my first officer." Kathryn said with a grin as they stepped into the empty turbolift. "And then I married him." Her grin grew as Owen's mouth dropped open. Her laughter echoed down the corridor as the doors swished shut.


	2. Chapter 2

Kathryn keyed in her access code and escorted Owen into the Janeway family Quarters. The first thing she noticed was the silence, which was rare when it came to her children. "Anybody home?" She called out to determine if the silence was real or if her children were up to something. "I guess you'll have to wait to meet the rest of my brood." She quipped.

Owen looked around the large, spacious, room. He could see signs of children scattered all over the room; several pieces of clothing were scattered on the floor, childish drawings took up a large space on the walls, and what looked to be school Padds littered two of the rooms three sofa's and a good portion of the surrounding floor. "It's still hard for me to imagine you with children, Katie." He offered, good naturely.

"Mm." Kathryn motioned towards one of the less cluttered sofa's and moved to clear away the scattered Padds, some of which were hers and her husbands while the rest belonged to the children. "Please, have a seat." She dropped the Padds onto a nearby table and moved over to the replicator. "Two coffees, black." She removed the drinks and carried them over to the coffee table. Sitting down beside Own, she motioned for him to take one of the cups while she took the other. Taking a sip, she studied her former mentor and friend. "How are you holding up?"

"Pretty good, considering." Owen took a sup of the coffee and looked up in surprise at it's unfamiliar taste. "This isn't your usual blend, is it?" He asked, looking into the inky black liquid.

Kathryn smothered a smile by taking another sip. "Not exactly. It's actually one of Neelix's blends. We ran out of real coffee a couple months after we were brought here. Neelix experimented with several different blends until he landed on this one. I guess I'm used to the taste because I can honestly say that this is what I think coffee should taste like." She chuckled at his unsure expression. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. It's actually made from a plant that grows on several nearby planets, including our home planet. Much better for you than the other stuff."

Owen took another sip and settled back against the sofa and smiled at the familiarity of the situation. Before he could say anything else, the doors to swished opened and his breath caught in his throat. Standing there was almost a spitting image of his youngest daughter, Ariel, when she was a teenager.

"Mom!" The teenager stepped inside the room and stopped when she noticed that her mother wasn't alone. "Sorry." She said, sheepishly. "Dad said that you'd be here." She explained.

"What do you need, Bella?" Kathryn asked as she gave her daughter a small smile. She glanced side ways at Owen to see his reaction. "Owen, I'd like you to meet my eldest daughter, Isabella. Bella, this is my dear friend, Owen _Paris_."

Bella blinked and tilted her head to the side, strawberry blonde hair falling over her crystal blue eyes. "Isn't that daddy's..." She trailed off, unsure.

Closing his mouth, Owen sat down his cup of alien coffee. "She looks like Ariel." He whispered. "How is that possible? Ariel is on Earth with her husband and three _sons_."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Because she's Tom's daughter. I imagine that's where the family resemblance comes from." She answered, honestly. "Now what did you need, honey?" She turned her attention to her daughter.

"Cullum, Owen, and I were wondering if we could go camping with Kendra, Kellen, Jordel, and Naomi, tonight, after George's party." Bella gave her mother her best puppy dog eyes. "Please! Uncle Neelix is going to be there too. He said that Sam needs a break so he's taking the kids for the night and asked if we'd like to come too!" She said quickly, forgetting that Owen was even in the room.

"Is your homework finished? All your projects for B'Elanna?" Kathryn inquired. "And what did your father say?"

Bella crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course my homework is done and all my engineering projects have already been turned in!" She was offended that her mother would even suggest that she would blow off her work for a night of camping. "And daddy said it was up to you. He didn't want to get in trouble again."

Kathryn eyed her daughter for a moment. "Very well, you and your brothers may go. But I expect their homework and any projects to be completed before hand." As soon as she gave the go ahead, she found herself embraced and released by her eldest offspring in a matter of seconds. "Dress warmly!" She called out as the doors swished closed behind Bella's retreating form. She sighed and shook her head. "Kids!" She muttered and chuckled. "But I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Owen was silent for a few seconds longer. "That was Tom's daughter?" Owen asked. "Why does she call you mom?" He was confused. "And why do I get the feeling that _dad _and _daddy _are two different people?"

"Well, I _am_ her mother. What else would she call me? Hey you?" Kathryn answered, eyes dancing with mirth. "And she calls Tom daddy and Chakotay dad. I think she calls B'Elanna mama, but I could be wrong." She waved a hand, dismissingly. "Last week she was calling her step-mother by her given name. You know how children are."

"But your married to Chakotay, aren't you? And the boy I met earlier was a Janeway so I assume that he's yours?" Owen was very confused.

Kathryn took another sip of her cooling coffee. "I actually have four children with my husband, Owen. And yes, the boy that found you, Jaden Thomas, is mine but you haven't met his twin sister Jordan Mia. Or my oldest two with Chakotay, Caitlin Kes and Benjamin Edward." She waited a moment to let that sink in before continuing. "I also have triplets with Tom. Isabella Marie, Cullum Edward, and Owen Jacob weren't planned, I can assure you. Let's just say that we were both under alien influence and leave it at that. We love our children, no matter how or why they were conceived. And it does not do a person any good to dwell on the past."

Owen stared at her blankly. "You mean to tell me that you have seven children?!" He just couldn't get his mind wrapped around that. He thought Phoebe's twin boys, Brice and Branson, were a pain, he couldn't imagine seven little Janeways running around, especially aboard a Starship.

"The triplets are fourteen years old. They were four when I married Chakotay and Caitlin come along; so they think of him as a father just like Tom. They were three when Tom married B'Elanna so they think of her as a mother, just like me. I can assure you that there is no hard feelings between any of us. We were both glad to welcome the support of our spouses and just as glad when they became a apart of the childrens lives. We're one big family and I don't just mean the Janeway's and the Paris'. I mean the entire crew." Kathryn wanted him to be clear on how things were.

"This is all a little overwhelming, Katie." Owen finally said. "Twenty-four hours ago I thought you all were dead and now I find out that not only are you alive but also have families. I have three grandchildren I've never even met before." He sat back on the sofa and rubbed his face.

Kathryn chuckled and sat down her almost empty cup. "Actually Owen, Tom also has children with wife, B'Elanna."

Owen just stared at his companion. "H...how many?" He asked as his world was once again thrown into a tailspin.

"It isn't my place to say." Kathryn looked towards the doors as the chime sounded. "But I know someone who can. Come!" She stood and greeted Tom with a hug as he entered the room. "Now do you believe me?" She whispered into his ear before releasing him.

"Tom?" Owen stood and took in his sons appearance. Gone was the maquis rebel he remembered from his one and only visit to the prison colony and in his place was a Starfleet officer proud to be wearing the uniform.

"I had been hoping that this was all a comm malfunction." Tom admitted, dryly, as he eyed his father. "But I can see that I have no such luck." He stood up straight and placed his hands behind his back. "Admiral Paris, you are looking well." He decided to hide behind formality until he fully absorbed what was going on.

Owen was speechless for a moment then copied his sons posture. "As are you..." His eyes moved to his collar, in search of pipes. "Lieutenant Commander Paris." He couldn't believe his son held such a high rank. The Tom he remembered could careless about rank but the man standing in front of him was clearly proud of his place on the ship. "At ease." He managed to add.

Tom relaxed and shot his Captain a mock glare. "You could have prepared me a little better, Kat." He grumbled and ran a hand through his shaggy, blonde, hair.

Kathryn gave her helmsman and friend an innocent look. "I could have but I know how you adore surprises." She added just as innocently. "So...surprise!"

"We need to work on your definition of a surprise. Surprises are suppose to be fun not..." Tom looked at his father again. "Awkward."

Sobering, slightly, Kathryn had the decency to look guilty. "You're right, Tom. And I'm sorry. But I didn't know how else to tell you." She gave Owen an apologetic look before looking back to the younger man. "I know you'd rather be back on the holodeck with George but I thought you needed to know before the rumors began to fly. You know how this crew loves to gossip and such." She waved a hand, dismissingly. "Owen being here will be a juicy topic, indeed."

Tom nodded and shot his father a sympathetic look. "Don't let their innocent looks fool you, this crew is as bad as two old Talaxian women preparing a feast."

Kathryn chuckled at the comparison and nodded. "Very astute observation, Tom."

Having no idea what a Talaxian was, Owen just smiled. "All small ships have the same problem." He commented, pushing aside his nervousness. "Especially small ships on deep space missions." As soon as he said it, he knew he had mispoken. He watched as his sons face clouded over. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "George? That's the second time I've heard that name. Who is he?"

"George is my youngest son." Tom couldn't keep the pride out of his voice. "He's four today." His chest puffed up a little. "Speaking of which, you should get to the holodeck, Kat. Georgie was in full tantrum mode when I left because his Auntie Kat wasn't there." He raised an eyebrow in amusement at his sons attachment to his Captain.

"Smart boy." Kathryn commented, dryly, but the sparkle in her eyes gave her away. "I guess I should be getting to the party. Poor B'Elanna should be ready to pull her hair out if he is truly in full tantrum mode." She nodded as she made up her mind. "And I think I shall go alleviate her headache." With that said she started towards the doors but stopped when they swished open. "Feel free to stay as long as you like but remember...Neelix made cake." With that she disappeared out into the corridor and the doors swished shut behind her.

Owen blinked and shifted, slightly, on his feet. The feeling of nervousness was returning. "So...how have you _really_ been, Tom?" He asked when he couldn't stand the awkward silence anymore.

Tom sighed when he was finally left alone with his estranged father. "I'm doing well. How's mother?" He was grasping for things to say.

"Elizabeth passed away seven years ago." Owen waited to see how his son would take the news.

"Oh." Tom didn't know what else to say. He knew he should be feeling sadness at learning of his mothers passing but he didn't. He didn't feel anything really. To him, his own mother had been a stranger. One he hadn't thought about in over fifteen years. "How did Ariel and Ariana take it?"

Owen was surprised by Tom's reaction. He knew his son hadn't really been close to his mother but he had expected a little more than just asking how his sister took it. "They took it as well as could be expected. Their children were a little less...composed."

Tom tilted his head to the side. "Being a grandfather agrees with you." He stated, honestly. "How..." He cleared his throat. "How many kids does Ariel and Ariana have?"

"Well, Ariel has three sons. Skyler who is seven, Jaxon who is four, and Reese who just turned two." Owen smiled as he thought about his grandchildren. " And Ariana has two daughters and a son. Elle is ten, Casey is five, and Mason is three months."

Smiling, Tom could picture the Paris house filled with childish laughter and joy. Something his own childhood lacked. "I have a couple, you know? Kids, that is." He didn't know how his father was going to react to hearing about grandkids he didn't even know. "Well, Cullum, Owen, and Isabella are the oldest at fourteen. Um...Miral is ten, Aryanna is eight, and George just turned four today." He couldn't help but feel pride at mentioning his offspring. "I've been married to B'Elanna for eleven years. She's our chief engineer."

Owen frowned. "Dammit Tom!" He turned to face the windows and the unfamiliar stars beyond. "Your mother didn't stop hoping that you'd walk through the door someday. She never gave up hope that you were alive even though everyone else did." He was silent for a moment. "Do you know what we went through? What all of Voyagers families went through? Now I find you here, alive, living it up!" He was angry.

Tom narrowed his eyes, frowned, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Living it up?" He hissed. "Is that what you think?" He snorted. "Oh ya, Dad. The Delta Quadrant is just one big picnic!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You don't have a damn clue as to what it was like for us so don't even stand there and judge me! I thought after fifteen years you might have changed but I can see I was wrong. You're still that self-centered bastard that I remember!" He was angry now. "I hear the pride you have in talking about Ariel and Ariana's kids, but heaven forbid I have any? Well you know what, screw you and your self-righteousness! I have a family. One I love and would give my life for. So get used to it because we're along way away from your_ precious _Earth, your _darling_ daughters, and your_ perfect_ grandchildren! And if you do anything, and I mean anything, to hurt my children's feelings, you will wish you were anywhere but here. He turned and stormed out of the room, leaving his father alone. Taking a moment, he calmed himself before stepping onto a newly arrived turbolift and heading for his sons party. Nothing, not even his fathers unwanted presence aboard, was going to take away the joy of this day.

"Oh Lizzy." Owen mumbled as he stared at the closed doors. "What have I done?" He regretted his words now but he had been angry for so long at his son. And now to find him not only alive but thriving, it had been a kick in the gut. Something on a nearby stand caught his eye and he moved over to investigate. Leaning down, he came face to face with holoimages, lots of holoimages. He could clearly make out what appeared to be the Janeway family within the pictures but he could also see signs of Tom as well. Three of the children staring back at him were clearly Paris', or Janeway Paris' he was sure. Cullum and his namesake Owen, we identical in every way; from the strawberry blonde hair to the grey-blue eyes. And Isabella, the girl he had met earlier, however briefly, was also a spitting imagine of her brothers except for the eyes. Her eyes were crystal blue and held an intelligence that no child her age should have. But then again, he noticed that her brothers shared that look as well. His eyes moved over to another group of images and he could clearly make out his son, a woman clearly Klingon, and three hybrid children. This had to be Tom's family; his wife B'Elanna and their three children. His eyes scanned over the youngsters and he had to admit that they were cute. While the oldest of the three looked like her mother, the other two had less prominent features of their Klingon heritage. The little boy, especially. While his siblings had brown hair and brown eyes, he had dirty blonde and blue eyes. He still had forehead ridges but they were so indistinguishable against his pale skin, something else that differed from his siblings, that you had to be really looking to notice them. The more he looked at the boy, George, the more he started to look like his fathers oldest children. This gave him pause. After a few more seconds of scanning the images, he moved over to the sofa he previously occupied and sat down. He'd stay here until Kathryn returned. He welcomed the silence since he had alot to think about.


	3. Chapter 3

"He's hiding something." Kathryn stated as she took a bite of her dinner. She chewed, thoughtfully, cautiously, then took another bite when she determined that the odd looking food on her tray was, indeed, edible.

"Really?" Tom sat down the Padd he had been reading and pushed it off to the side so he could rest his hands on the table. "I thought I was just being paranoid." He tilted his head to the side and picked a piece of fruit, or what he had hoped was fruit, off his companions tray and popped it into his mouth. "Mm, Neelix is getting better." He stated, cheekily, as he chewed. "Now, what makes you think my father is hiding something?"

Kathryn, mock, glared at her friend before taking another bite of the violent purple, sweet, fruit, on her tray. "He was first and foremost my mentor at the Academy so I got to know him rather well..." She started to explain. "He was never an overly expressive man but he had his moments." Her eyes took on a faraway look as memories of the past rushed to the surface. "But he was always a man devoted to his family. I remember listening to him for hours talking about Ariel, Ariana, and you." She was silent again. "The man that appeared on Voyager is not the same man I once knew and looked up to. He's quiet, secretive, and has avoided every attempt Owen, Cullum, and Bella have made for a meeting. He won't even acknowledge them as his grandchildren and I can't figure out why."

Tom sat back and found himself nodding. "He's the same way with Miral, Aryanna, and George, come to think of it. He's been onboard for three weeks and he's only seen them once and that's only because I forced him too. And the meeting was awkward to say the least. He was cold, detached even. I mean, that's how I remember him growing up but I never once suspected that he'd treat his own grandchildren like inconveniences. Maybe he really hasn't changed in fifteen years, though I had hoped..." He trailed off and shook his head. "So what do you think he's hiding?"

"I'm not sure." Kathryn pushed her half empty tray away, having lost her appetite, and sighed. "We're seventy-five thousand light years away from Earth, what could he possible have to hide from us?"

"Maybe he lied about how he got here?" Tom suggested, his imagination in high gear. "Maybe he was purposely sent here?"

Kathryn pondered this idea then dismissed it with a shake of her head. "No one knew we were still alive. We've all been dead for fifteen years in the eyes of the Federation and our families. I don't think his being here was on purpose. I honestly think it was a horrible accident."

Tom snorted. "Horrible accident, indeed." He waved off her concerned look. "So what? You think he's having a hard time adjusting to the situation and taking out his anger and frustration at being stuck here on his family?"

"We've had time to adjust to this life, Tom. We were out here for five years before we really began talking about settling down on a planet and forgetting about our lives before the Delta Quadrant. He's had a total of three weeks to get used to the idea that we're not only alive but settled here. He's only had three mesely weeks to grasp the idea that he may never see Earth again. It has to be hard." Kathryn stated, understandingly. It wasn't an easy transition for most of them either. It took years for them to really grasp, understand, and finally accept that this was their home now.

"So he's acting like an ass because he isn't _adjusting_?" Tom asked, disbelief coloring his voice. "That's sounds more like an excuse than a reason." He pointed out. "No, my father is Starfleet through and through. He probably adjusted to being here at least two and a half weeks ago. So that leaves us back to square one. What is he hiding and why is he hiding it?" He looked away from his Captain when he heard the doors to the messhall open and a very familiar voice enter. "Look at him!" He hissed, eyes locked on the smiling, laughing, face of his estranged father. "He can laugh and joke with Ensign Palmer but he can't even share a civil word with me or my children?" He felt years worth of anger and resentment slowly bubble to the surface.

Kathryn frowned and couldn't fault Tom for his anger. Because she, herself, was beginning to feel anger towards her former mentor. But not anger on her behalf, no. She was feeling anger for her children who desperately wanted to get to know their grandfather but was denied. "Maybe we should just ask him?" She desperately fought to push down her anger.

Tom pulled his eyes away from his father and focused back on his dinner companion. "Oh, that should go over well." He grumbled, sarcastically. "The day my father honestly answers a question is the day I eat my console."

"I hope it doesn't come to that." Kathryn answered, seriously, but her eyes betrayed her mirth. "I can only imagine what the Doctor would say." She was trying to lighten the mood.

"Ok, maybe I _won't _eat my console but you get the picture." Tom shook his head and smiled. "Only you could turn my thoughts away from murder. Not even B'Elanna has mastered that yet."

Kathryn reached over and patted his tightly clasped hands. "I fell honored." She raised an eyebrow but didn't move her hand off his. Feeling someone watching her, she looked away from Tom and scanned the messhall, eyes locking with Owen's. She watched him look down at their hands then back to their faces before looking away and continuing with his conversation with the young Ensign. "Mm, maybe he isn't handling _us_ very well?" She said as she looked back to Tom, who was now watching her.

Tom glanced over at his father, who was sitting three tables over, then back to the Captain. "Us? But there is no _us_."

"True and we know that but what if all he is seeing is the fact that we have three kids together?" Kathryn stated, logically. "I know before we left for this mission that he considered me something of a surrogate daughter. He took it upon himself to look out for me after my father was killed. Maybe he's looking at us and seeing, I don't know, something akin to incest? It would explain why he won't speak to the children."

"Incest?!" Tom squeaked then lowered his voice when several of his crewmates glanced his way. "We're not related! I mean, we aren't, are we?" He was beginning to panic. "We could be, couldn't we? Our fathers were close, anything could have happened if one was away on a dangerous mission and the other was at home looking out for both families!" He ran a hand through his, already, messy blonde hair.

Kathryn rolled her eyes but didn't say anything until Tom was finished with his ranting. "I can assure you that we are _not_ related, Tom." She smiled at a passing Ensign, who was looking at them funny, then focused her complete attention on the clearly distraught man sitting across from her. "You are Thomas Eugene Paris, son of Owen and Elizabeth Paris. You have two older sister, Ariel and Ariana. And I am Kathryn Odessa Janeway, daughter of Edward and Gretchen Janeway. I have one younger sister, Phoebe. As you can see, we are related in no way once soever. And the only thing we really have in common is the fact that both our fathers were Admirals and friends." She sighed when he didn't look at her. "Listen to me and listen to me good, Mister Paris. Our children are not the product of an incestual coupling." She decided to try another route. "When they were beamed aboard and the Doctor undertook their transformation to human, he would have said something to us if he found anything out of the ordinary."

Tom nodded his head and looked at her, sheepishly. "Sorry." He whispered. "I guess this whole thing has been pretty rattled." A mischievous grin suddenly formed on his lips. "Come on, _Sis_, lets get out of here." He stood, tucking his disregarded Padd under his arm. "I think we both need a break so how about a game of pool?"

"Pool? You must be aching for punishment." Kathryn stood, not phased, in the least, at his sudden shift in mood. She started to follow him out but stopped when she caught sight of Neelix emerging from his kitchen. "Neelix! Just the man I wanted to see!" She motioned him over and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I want you to be sure our _guest_ has some of your wonderful leola root stew and a cup of your special tuskin coffee." She started towards the door again but stopped and turned back. "Oh and Neelix? Be sure he finishes his entire meal, Captains orders." She then disappeared out the door with her companion.

"What was that about?" Tom asked once Kathryn fell into step beside him. "Leola root stew _and _tuskin coffee?"

Kathryn smirked. "I thought your father would enjoy some of our..._delicacies_."

Tom chuckled and shook his head. "Delicacies? I never heard them called that before." He was silent for a moment as they entered a turbolift. "Deck six." He called out. "You do realize that Neelix isn't going to let him out of there until he's finished his entire meal, don't you?"

"Really?" Kathryn asked, innocently, as she stepped out of the turbolift when the doors opened on deck six. She headed towards one of the holodecks.

"Remind me never to make you mad." Tom said with a grin as he stopped at first unoccupied holodeck and called up his Sandrine program to play. "Shall we?" He motioned towards the open doors.

Kathryn stepped inside the doors. "Of course, little _brother_." She grinned and stepped further into the program, leaving Tom to follow.

* * *

Owen stood outside the doors of the holodeck before stepping in. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the change in lighting and once he was fully inside, he noticed that he was standing outside a bar of sorts. Sounds of laughter were flowing from inside the old style building and as he got closer, he could hear the sounds of balls being struck with a cue. "Pool?" These people had yet to amaze him. And what amazed him more was that his son and Kathryn were located inside, according to the computer. He flinched as he pulled the doors open and stepped inside, his meal wasn't settling right and before returning to his quarters for the night he'd have to visit sickbay. What greeted him was unexpected. There in the center of the room was a pool table, one occupied by not only his son and Kathryn but also Tuvok and Harry Kim. He raised an eyebrow and looked around the dimly lit setting.

Tom was the first to notice his father but he didn't comment as he lined up his next shot and sunk the ball into the side pocket without so much as batting an eye. "Ha! Beat that!" He gloated and moved over to the side of the table to clear the way for Kathryn.

"Gladly." Was all Kathryn said as she sunk the last two balls into the same, corner, pocket. "I do believe that's game, Mister Paris." She couldn't help but smirk at the wounded puppy look that her competitor had adopted.

"Show off." Tom mumbled, good naturedly, as he began to pick the balls out of the pockets and toss them onto the table. "Another game?"

Kathryn shook her head and laid her pool cue onto the table top. "I think we hogged the table long enough, Tom. It's all yours gentlemen." She motioned towards the table and nodded her head towards Tuvok and Harry. "You, however, can buy me a drink." She moved over to one of the tables and sat down.

Tom sighed and moved over to the bar to retrieve two glasses of Sandrine's best wine. He continued to ignore his fathers presence, his anger not fully dissipated yet.

"Why don't you join us, Owen?" Kathryn finally acknowledged Owen and motioned to a chair across from her.

"What is this place?" Owen asked as he took the invitation and sat down across from Voyagers Captain.

"Sandrine's" Tom answered as he returned with their drinks and sat down beside Kathryn. "I made the program awhile ago and it kinda...took off."

Owen took a moment to look around before focusing on his son. "Isn't Sandrine's in France? Near one branch of Starfleet Academy?"

Tom nodded and took a sip of his wine. "I spent a great deal of time here when I was a cadet." He smiled at the memory.

Kathryn watched the interaction with interest and when Owen appeared to fully grasp the meaning behind Tom's words, she spoke up to defuse the impending situation. "What brings you here, Owen?"

"The computer said you'd be here and I thought we should talk." Owen answered. "I had hoped for a little more privacy though."

"This is as private as one can get onboard." Tom replied as he took another sip of his wine. "What happens in Sandrine's stays in Sandrine's." He grinned.

Owen nodded, stiffly. "Very well. I just wanted to explain my actions as of late. I'm sure you've noticed how...closed off I've been."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Really? I hadn't noticed. Had you, Kat?" He couldn't help being snippy.

Ignoring his son, Owen continued. "When Elizabeth passed away seven years ago, I fell apart." He forced himself to continue. "I even resigned from Starfleet, if you can believe it. I spent a few months traveling, trying to find a new purpose for myself but being in Starfleet for most of your life doesn't leave to many other paths to travel. Three months I traveled aimlessly, having no contact with my family or friends. I ran into Gretchen by complete accident, really." His eyes took on a faraway look as he lost himself in the memory.

"Mom?" Kathryn asked in surprise. What did her mother have to do with how Owen had been acting?

Owen smiled and shook his head to clear away the memory. "Yes, Katie. It seems that both of us had the same idea. She had been traveling abroad for...two years when I ran into her at a small café near Starfleet Headquarters. We got to talking about our families and we shared some memories of Edward. And I actually found myself enjoying her company. We made plans to see each other the next day and the day after that and the day after that until we started seeing each other three, four, times a week. She talked me into going back to Starfleet and begging to be reinstated. By then, we had been seeing each other weekly for a year. I discovered that the pain and anger at losing Elizabeth had dulled and finally disappeared." He took a deep breath, not enjoying having to say the next part. "I grew close to Phoebe during this time, her mother had told her about us and she wanted to meet me." He chuckled. "It was odd having to introduce myself to Edwards youngest daughter as if we were strangers. But in the end she approved and Gretchen and I were married a year later."

Kathryn felt as if she had been kicked in the gut. "Phoebe approved so you and mom were married?" She asked, her throat having gone dry. She picked up her untouched glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. "Since when did mom need anyones approval, especially Phoebe's?" She was hurt and fighting to keep that from showing.

Glaring at his father, Tom placed a hand on Kathryn's arm in silent support. He knew he was feeling the same way that she was.

"Gretchen and Phoebe are close, Katie. They have been for years." Owen went on, oblivious to Kathryn's inner turmoil. "They have a lot in common, you know? Both of them are painters. I guess the saying is true, like mother like daughter." He smiled. "Gretchen is proud of her daughter and grandsons. Phoebe has twin boys, Brice and Branson. Little spitfires they are. They took to calling me grandpa almost automatically."

Kathryn's jaw tightened. "And what, I'm not her daughter?" She managed to grit out. "How long did it take for those back on Earth to forget about us, hm? A week or two?" She was pissed. "We spent ten years trying to get back _home_ and there wasn't even a home for us to get back too."

Owen froze, he never saw Kathryn so upset before. "That's not what I meant. All I meant was that you were your fathers daughter. Following in his footsteps. And we never forgot about you but we thought you were gone! All we could do was keep your memories alive once we got over the pain and loss."

Tom snorted. "So you'll accept Gretchen Janeway's grandchildren but you won't accept my children? You son-of-a-bitch." He hissed and rose to his feet, pulling Kathryn up with him. "That's it, isn't it. You've moved on to a point were I don't exist anymore and neither does Kathryn. We're nothing but memories to be tucked away. You have a new family now that us. You truly don't see my children, your own flesh and blood, as even worth your time. You haven't changed. Not one bit." He couldn't help but feel disappointed. Come on Kat, we've wasted enough time on him." He began to lead her out of the now, quiet, Sandrine's.

"There isn't a day that hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about my mother, Owen. Believe it or not, we were close. I may have been my fathers daughter but I was my mothers little girl." Kathryn said as she halted their exit. She needed to say this. "Like it or not, Cullum, Owen, Isabella, Miral, Aryanna, and George are _your_ grandchildren. Memory or not, we all are flesh and blood. You'll just have to accept those additions to your perfect little world. Your ideal family. Because we aren't going anywhere and neither are the kids." She paused. "And neither are you. Look around you, Owen. We are nowhere near Earth nor are we ever going to be. We have a home, which we will be arriving at in three days. You have that long to decide if we are worth adding into your life because if you decide that we aren't...you can find another means of travel because you won't be welcome aboard this ship anymore. And you certainly won't be welcome at our home. Think carefully, Owen." With that she turned and continued out of the holodeck with Tom, leaving Owen behind to deal with the crew-members that had heard the exchange and didn't like what they heard.

* * *

**Authors Note **

Ok, let me explain some things that seem to be causing confusion.

This story is based on the crew of Voyager having been in the Delta Quadrant for fifteen years. Ten years into their journey back to the Alpha Quadrant, they decided to settle down on a planet, Free Haven. They've lived on the planet for five years.

Owen arrived on Voyager after an accident back in the Alpha Quadrant. The ship he had been on, the U.S.S. Hawkins, was caught in some sort of gravity wave and they were attempting to beam Admiral Paris to safety but something went wrong and he ended up on Voyager instead of the Deep Space Three space station.

So don't you think after fifteen years, Captain Kathryn Janeway would change? She would become more relaxed around her crew and they around her? Well, I do and that's how I'm writing her.

Now, Cullum, Owen, and Isabella are the lizardkids from the episode Threshold. Just a little _what if_ Chakotay hadn't decided to leave them on the planet and Janeway and Paris respected that decision and took care of their offspring, after they were turned into human babies, with slightly higher IQ's than most?

I'm sorry if the story is confusing, I've had this idea in my head for a while and I have most of the details there as well. I forget that others don't have that information. I even have a family tree charted for each of the main characters so don't be surprised to see spouses and children later on that belong to Harry, Neelix, and, yes, even Tuvok.

There you have it, I hope that cleared somethings up. If there are anymore questions just ask and I'll try to answer them the best I can.


	4. Chapter 4

"Perhaps you should have chosen a different way of telling Captain Janeway your news, Admiral." Tuvok said as he moved around the pool table, setting up a shot.

Owen blinked and looked at Tuvok. "What does Kati...Kathryn have on you people that you're so loyal to her?"

Harry was the one to answer the question. "She has our respect, our love, and our devotion." He raised his eyes from the pool table and glared at the elderly Admiral. "She's managed to keep us alive out here and even though she made it clear that we owe her nothing, we know that we do."

Turning his attention away from the Vulcan, Owen focused on the younger man. "Kim, isn't it? Harry Kim?" He knew the crew manifest of Voyager off by heart except for the new additions, that is. "I've had the honor of meeting your parents on several occasions."

Tilting his head to the side, Harry looked back to the pool table and took his shot, missing the ball by a hair. "Really?" He looked back to Owen, not believing that this man could have possible helped create a man such as Tom. "How are they?"

Owen gave the young officer a small smile. "Well. Their son, Lee, just graduated from the Academy."

Harry stopped, brows furrowed in confusion. "Son?" He never had any siblings. "They had another child?" His parents were getting up in the years when he was born, he just couldn't imagine his mother having another child at her age.

"Adopted, actually. Shortly after they received news of Voyagers destruction and the loss of all hands, they decided to adopt a child. I believe Lee was five at the time, his parents had been killed by the Borg when he was just a baby." Owen said. "I sponsored him at the Academy. Very bright boy, I believe he's an engineer now, helping to design shuttles and Starships."

"Really?" Harry was glad his parents had found a way to get over losing him. "I bet their proud."

Owen nodded. "They are. I also think their glad he chose a posting on Earth rather than out in space."

Harry motioned for Tuvok to take the next shot. "They're afraid of losing him, it's only natural they'd want him close by."

"Your reaction to news of home was much the same as my sons. You two wouldn't happen to be friends, would you?" Owen asked after he observed the similarities between this young man and his son.

Tuvok, having realized that his playing partner had lost interest in the game, laid his cue down. "This game can be finished at a later date, Harry."

A sheepish smile flittered across Harry's face and he laid his own cue down. "I'm sorry, Tuvok. I really have been looking forward to our rematch." He apologized.

"No need to apologize." Tuvok dismissed the apology and motioned towards the table that Owen was at. "It's only logical that your mind would be distracted by the news from Earth." He moved around the table and sat down in the chair that Tom had vacated.

Harry nodded and followed his companion, sitting in the chair that the Captain had previously occupied. "And yes, Admiral, Tom and I are friends." He smiled. "He's actually my sons, Godfather."

Owen seemed surprised. "Really? What's your sons name?"

"Thomas, of course. You've met him, however brief. He was the boy with Jaden when you first arrived on Voyager." Harry said.

"Ah, I didn't get to see much of the younger boy, Jaden had placed himself between us. He was using his body to shield the boy from me." Owen chuckled. "A brave move for such a small child."

"Jaden is one of my top pupils, Admiral." Tuvok decided to join the conversation. "Not that his siblings are lacking."

Owen turned his attention away from Harry and focused on Tuvok. "You teach?"

Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "As you are aware, Admiral, I spent a number of years teaching on Earth and on Vulcan. It was only logical that I be the one to undertake the role of educator once again. I have help, of course."

"Oh? Who else teaches?" Owen was beginning to wonder just how many children their were onboard.

Harry chuckled. "Who doesn't?" He shook his head. "Chakotay teaches about cultures and anthropology, B'Elanna handles engineering principles, Tom is the flight instructor, The Doctor teaches field medicine. Neelix makes sure everybody knows how to cook, at least a simple meal, I handle music, and the Captain teaches two courses; Physical Fitness and Starfleet procedure, protocol, and the Prime Directive."

Owen frowned. "How does she find time to Captain a Starship?"

"Classes adjourn for six weeks, approximately the length of time it takes us to gather supplies and return home. Once we are planet side, classes will resume." Tuvok clarified.

"Home? Tuvok, I had hoped, you of all people would see the illogic behind all of this." Owen waved his hand around to make his point.

Tuvok calmly observed Owen. "I see only logic behind the decision to settle down and discontinue our journey. I, also happened to be the one to advise Captain Janeway during her decision making process. And as I have just said, I advised her that settling down was a logical decision."

Owen blinked, a deep frown etched across his lip. "What about your wife, Tuvok? Your children? Have you forgotten them as easily as the others seemed to have forgotten their families back home?"

"I have not." Tuvok answered with his own frown. "If you think anyone aboard this ship has easily forgotten their families, then you are in the wrong. It took many years for them to get over the pain and loss. Myself, included." He admitted, reluctantly. "But we learned that it does not do a person any good to dwell on the past. I keep T'Pel and my children in my thoughts, always. As I am sure my crewmates also do for the loved ones left behind." He was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "It was only logical for me to assume that T'Pel would mourn me then move on. I had to do the same."

Shaking his head, Owen knew that Tuvok was right. "She has moved on." He said quietly, trying to remember any news he could about T'Pel and Tuvok's family. "She took another mate nine years ago, they have no children. She couldn't find the logic in having anymore children when she, herself, is a grandmother. Your son, Sek, had a child, T'Meni. And the last time I heard, your daughter was expecting her first born."

Tuvok nodded. "Thank you for sharing that with me. It has confirmed what I had only speculated. I have taken another mate, as well, Ziyal. She's Bajorian and served with Commander Chakotay aboard the Maquis ship. We have been together for two years and have a son, Sasha, who is one."

"Two years?" It was Harry's turn to raise his eyebrows. "As she is so fond of reminding you, Tuvok, you were together for six years not two. Two is the number of years you have been married."

Owen looked between the two unlikely friends. "You seem to know a lot about Tuvok's personal life, Mister Kim."

Harry shrugged then stood. The hour was growing late. "I should. Ziyal is my wife, Jordan's, older sister." He laughed at the expression on the Admiral's face. "What? Is it so hard to believe that we have the same taste in woman?" He glanced at Tuvok then back to the Admiral. "Alright, I guess it is a _little _hard to believe but not impossible!" He shook his head. "We should be getting back to our quarters, Tuvok. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to face an angry wife for being late."

"Neither do I." Tuvok said as he also stood. "Admiral, as the Captain said, we are along way from Earth. Take this opportunity to get to know your son and grandchildren. Children and grandchildren are precious, no matter who you are or what race you come from. Think of this as a second chance and leave it at that." Inclining his head, Tuvok turned and left the Holodeck.

"I'd stay away from the Captain and her family for a day or two, Admiral." Harry offered as a suggestion. "When she's mad, she's more likely to order you thrown out a hangerbay door." He waited Owen to stand and he looked around, checking for any stragglers then saved and ended the program. "Goodnight, Admiral." He exited the Holodeck and headed for his quarters.

"A second chance?" Owen whispered and also left the Holodeck, heading for his own quarters. Maybe this could be seen as a second chance but wasn't that what he considered what he had with Gretchen, a second chance at love and life? Or maybe this could been seen as a second chance with his son? He knew he had been unusually hard on Tom when he was a child and that his son resented him for it. Maybe he could take this chance to try and set things right. Having come to a decision, Owen entered the turbolift with a new resolve. He'd make the best of this situation until he could get home.


	5. Chapter 5

When Kathryn entered her quarters, she was fuming. How dare Owen treat, not only her but also his son like nothing more than unwanted house guests? She stalked over to the replicator, retrieved a cup of coffee, and flung herself down on one of the sofas to brood.

Chakotay, having been in the bedroom when his wife entered, stuck his head around the corner. "Your home late." He managed to keep his voice even and his face blank, not showing any of the turbulent emotions he was feeling.

Kathryn looked up from her coffee, startled. Her husband was usually asleep at this hour. "I was in the Holodeck with Tom." She looked back to her, still untouched, coffee.

Cringing at the mention of the younger man, Chakotay left the confines of their bedroom and padded over to the sofa, sitting down once he reached it. "Did you two have an argument?" He could now tell that she was in a bad mood. The thought of her having a falling out with Tom made him smile. He couldn't help but feel threatened by Tom, who was at least twenty-years younger than him and had a lot more in common with Kathryn Janeway than himself.

"No, Tom and I are just fine." Kathryn sat down her cup and turned towards her husband of ten years. "We went there to relax, Owen's arrival has us both on edge. But he showed up and things went down hill from there."

Chakotay's smile faded and he gave his wife a concerned look. "What happened?" He was always playing the faithful, caring, understanding, husband.

Kathryn snorted and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I threatened to leave him stranded here without passage. I told him that if he didn't accept the situation, then he wouldn't be welcome aboard this ship or at our home." She rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. "That man...frustrates me beyond belief!" She growled.

Raising an eyebrow, Chakotay remained silent, knowing she wasn't finished.

"He's married to my mother now." Kathryn rolled her eyes towards her husband. "They got Phoebe's _permission_." She sneered in anger. "He doesn't have room for the dearly departed in his _perfect_ little life." She crossed her arms over her chest, her anger fading to made way for hurt and betrayal.

Chakotay's other eyebrow joined it's twin. "You're jealous." He said with a small chuckle.

Kathryn blinked and calming blue eyes suddenly flared to life. This time the target of her anger was sitting right beside her. "This isn't a laughing matter, _Commander_." She only used his title when she was truly angry. "I knew you wouldn't understand. You never understand." She pushed herself to her feet and moved away from him, stopping to stare out the window at the stars.

"Whoa, calm down, Kathryn." Chakotay rose to his feet, hands raised in surrender. "I'm not the one your angry at, remember?" He tried, his best, to defuse the situation before it got out of hand and he was forced to sleep in one of the unoccupied rooms on another deck; a common occurrence as of late.

"You always do that, Chakotay." Kathryn whispered without turning around. "Whenever I'm upset, you either laugh it off or tell me that I'm overreacting."

Chakotay sighed and ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "How'd this get to be about me? I thought we were talking about Admiral Paris?" He said in frustration.

Kathryn's shoulders dropped just a bit. "Owen's presence has forced me to take a step back and look at things." She sighed, tiredly.

"What do we do now?" Chakotay asked, subdued. "Do you really believe that our marriage is over? That our love for each other has faded into nothing more than a deep caring?"

"I've loved you since the day you stepped foot on this ship, Chakotay. Never doubt that." Kathryn turned to face him. I let Owen being here distract me from our problems. I used him as an excuse and that wasn't fair to you." She reached a hand up and traced the tattoo on the side of his face. "You've never really loved me, Chakotay." She whispered, curling her fingers behind his head to keep him from jerking away from her. "You're still in love with Seven." There was nothing but acceptance in her voice. "I left myself believe that you loved me and wanted to be with me." She dropped her hand and took a step back. "I'm sorry for what Seven did to you but she wasn't ready to have a baby and I wasn't ready to let her just get rid of _your_ child."

Chakotay took a shaky breath and left it out. "Why are you telling me this now when I've put it behind me?"

Kathryn gave him a small smile. "Because you haven't. Not really." She turned back towards the stars. "I still consider myself lucky to have walked into sickbay when I did. I couldn't let her terminate the pregnancy so I gave her another option. I offered to become the childs mother. So with several minutes of conference with the Doctor, we had a way to do it. He was able to remove all of her DNA and replace it with mine. Once she left sickbay, she was no longer carrying her child, she was carrying mine. I agreed to keep the change quiet until she managed to find a way to leave the ship without you finding out and stopping her. You know the rest of the story."

"I do." Chakotay stepped up behind her. "I was so angry when I found out but I got over it. Caitlin was _your _daughter, that much had been confirmed by the Doctor. I wasn't about to keep her from you. She was four months old when I asked you to marry me and you accepted. Benjamin was born a year later. And I couldn't have loved him more." He took in her reflection on the window. "Do you regret it? Any of it?"

"No, I love our kids and our marriage has been good. But all good things must come to an end." Kathryn quoted.

Chakotay was silent for a minute. "Tom knows, doesn't he? That's why you've been spending so much time with him instead of me?"

Kathryn nodded. "He's been listening to me for months now." She smiled, fondly. "He's a good listener and even better shoulder to cry on."

"You love him." Chakotay said. It was a statement, not a question.

"I care for him." Kathryn agreed. "We ended our own marriage too quickly. We didn't even give us a chance."

Chakotay nodded. "I always knew that you two didn't get married just for the sake of the triplets. It surprised me when just a month later you announced that you two were getting divorced. I couldn't have been happier."

"Mom? Dad? We're home!" Came the chorus of four distinct voices as they entered the Janeway quarters.

Kathryn wiped her eyes, turned and smiled at her youngest children. "How was the camping trip?" She raised an eyebrow at Caitlin's dripping hair and clothing. "What happened?" She entered the bathroom and returned with a towel, wrapping it around Caitlin.

"Cat was being a show off and fell in the lake." Benjamin chimed in, sending his sister a dirty look. Benji, like his father, had black hair and bronze skin. But his eyes were identical to his mothers.

"Nuh uh!" Caitlin shot back and slapped Benji on the back of head. "Benji pushed me in!" Cat was a carbon copy of her mother right down to her temper.

"Did you push your sister in, Benjamin?" Chakotay asked, looking between his two oldest children.

Benjamin shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I was with Jaden the whole time, wasn't I?" He looked over at his younger brother.

Jaden blinked and looked from his brother to his parents. Biting his lip, he looked to the floor. "Owie says not to lie. It's bad." He was referring to his older brother, Owen, whom he was rather close to. "I was playing with Jordan down by the lakes edge. I don't know where Benji was." He looked up at his mother. "Right Jordan?"

Jordan nodded. "We were throwing rocks in the water to see how far we could get." Jordan, like her twin brother, Jaden, were identical in every way. Both had red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Something their father often teased them about since they didn't get one physical trait from him. Instead, they got his calm demeanor and easy going personality.

"Traitor!" Benjamin hissed and narrowed his eyes at his younger brother. "If you love Owen so much, why don't you move in with Uncle Tom?"

"That's enough, Benji." Kathryn sighed and shook her head. "Your grounded until we reach Free Haven and I'm taking away your replicator privileges until then as well. Now go to your room." She watched him stomp off to his ajoining room then turned to look at her other three. "Caitlin go take a sonic shower before you catch cold. And you two." She pointed at the twins and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Go pick out a bed time story and your father will be in to read it to you." She turned to Chakotay when Caitlin entered the bathroom and twins scurried off to pick out a story. "We'll talk later. Right now the twins need you to read to them." She kissed his check and returned to the sofa to think.

Chakotay nodded and left to read to his youngest children. He was going to enjoy all the quality time he could get incase things didn't work out. He kept telling himself that his wife would come to her senses once they reached home and that the added stress of having Owen show up was just messing with her head. But he had a bad feeling that he was wrong. A really bad feeling.


End file.
